Hot Picks: Spicy Dishes & Drinks
Turn up the heat with these five-alarm faves
Comin’ in hot! When you’re in the mood for something with a spicy kick, fire up this list of the spiciest dishes and drinks from across Lettuce, categorized by heat level from Mild to Medium to Hot. Whether you’re looking for sweet heat or tear-inducing, we want to know: Can you take the heat?
Heat Level: Mild
Poached eggs served in a rich, subtly spicy tomato sauce, with kale, feta and toasted pita.
Get your blood pumping with this lip-smacking bloody, made with Grey Goose citron and brown sugar bacon.
Wake up your senses with this smoky dish (available during weekend brunch only!) featuring braised lamb served with baked egg, spicy harissa and house bread.
Eight yummy wings come slathered in Tangy BBQ (mild), Buffalo (medium), or Spicy Hot and served with your choice of ranch or blue cheeze (and celery, whether you like it or not!).
Get a quick and spicy flavor bomb with the Spicy Kimchi Sake Bomb at Sushi-san, which balances the heat with refreshing Asahi beer!
Heat Level: Medium
Hot Honey Brussels Sprouts at Beatrix
Your favorite roasted vegetable, tossed with condiment-of-the-moment hot honey, pickled Fresno pepper and crushed peanuts. These are what spicy dreams are made of!
House-made smoked Texas hot link sausage comes sliced to stack with zesty pimento cheese and b&b pickle on a saltine cracker (just trust us!).
Bang Bang Crispy Cauliflower at Hub 51
The Famous Pulled Chicken Nachos are the go-to starter at Hub 51 but spice aficionados will LOVE these tempura fried cauliflower bites tossed with spicy miso mayo and finished with togarashi, scallion and lime.
A staff favorite: Delicious pan roasted shrimp, whole cloves of roasted garlic, and fiery Calabrian chilis, all deglazed with brandy and tossed with imported spaghetti.
A vegetarian take on buffalo wings, these crispy morsels come smothered in spicy buffalo sauce (made with a splash of Tabasco!) and served with a side of blue cheese or ranch dressing.
Topped with Fior de Latte, parmesan and spicy giardiniera, you’ll need one of Portofino’s spritzers to quench your thirst! For another spicy take, order the Charred Pepperoni Pizza, which comes with a pot of hot honey to drizzle.
Spicy Miso Lobster (Whole or Half) at RPM Steak
A hot take on a luxe dish, RPM Steak removes a Whole Maine Lobster tail from its shell, slices it, then glazes it with spicy miso before placing the tail back in the shell and caramelizing, resulting in a sweet but fiery flavor. It’s served with lemon, parsley and the claws and knuckles glazed in butter and tobanjan.
Brand new on the menu at Shaw’s, is a devilish new twist on the El Diablo, a classic cocktail that first appeared in the 1946 Trader Vic’s recipe book. Traditionally made with tequila, Shaw’s El Diablo—En Fuego switches it up to mezcal to add smoky depth. Next, cassis liqueur adds sweetness to balance out spicy ginger beer, then kicks up the heat again with a house-made chili tincture. Want to go hotter? Ask the bartender to add an extra drop or two of the chili tincture!
Spicy Maki Rolls (Tuna, Scallop or Salmon) at Sushi-san
Set taste buds afire with Sushi-san’s maki, available in 5- or 10-piece orders, including: Spicy Tuna Maki, lean tuna dressed with spicy tobanjan and black sesame seeds; Spicy Salmon Maki (pictured above), Faroe Island salmon mixed with yuzu and spicy Korean gochujang; and Spicy Scallop Maki, chopped Hudson Canyon scallops mixed with spicy mayo, torched and finished with togarashi ichimi (red chili pepper!).
Sweet Heat ‘Rita at Wildfire
The steak-and-chops stalwart’s spin on a margarita includes jalapeño-infused tequila topped with some bubbles and served in a martini glass rimmed with chili-lime tajín seasoning for a sparkling, salty-sweet treat!
View the menu at Wildfire | Make a reservation at the Wildfire location nearest you
Get the recipe for Wildfire’s Sweet Heat ‘Rita
Heat Level: Hot
Spicy Thai Green Vegetable Curry with Tofu at Big Bowl
Vegetarian spice-lovers: This one’s for you! The hottest dish on Big Bowl’s menu features tofu, bok choy, peapods, red bell pepper, green beans, carrots, red onions, peas and Thai chilies, all tossed with spicy green curry sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime. Try Big Bowl’s other spicy sauces like Panang Curry, Sichuan and Kung Pao.
View the menu at Big Bowl | Make a reservation at the Big Bowl location nearest you
L. Woods sells more than 1,500 pounds of ribs a week, and spice-lovers in-the-know opt to get a half- or full slab of Creekstone Beef or Baby Back Ribs with L. Woods “spicy devil sauce,” which is made in-house with cayenne and white pepper, Tabasco and atomic horseradish.
This crunchy, spicy ramen bowl brings the heat with pork broth, Tokyo wavy noodles, green onion, spicy kimchi, karaage fried chicken, buttered corn, fried garlic and house-made sesame chili oil.
These crispy chicken wings are tossed in a house-made spicy sesame chili sauce and served with fried garlic, pickled Japanese daikon radish and lime kosho mayo to balance the classic szechuan-style heat.
